Would anyone raise an eyebrow these days if they heard a radio report that Martians had invaded the planet?
Susan Schafer, in-house director of the Barrington Area Arts Council, didn’t think so and took that to heart when deciding to bring Orson Welles’ radio play “War of the Worlds” to the council’s gallery stage.
To re-create the sense of panic felt by listeners who first heard the Mercury Theater radio broadcast in 1938, Schafer and two other local playwrights wrote a companion piece to help the audience better understand the hysteria.
“Ray’s ‘n Hell Diner” will be performed with “War of the Worlds.” The “Diner” play takes place in the present day and illustrates how people can get carried away by their fears.
The action will shift back and forth between the radio play and “Diner.” “We wanted to re-create the . . . craziness that happened because of the broadcast,” said Schafer, who added that “Diner” might “make it more interesting for the audience, who may not be used to listening to a radio play.”
The 90-minute performance will take place at 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday in the gallery, 207 Park Ave., Barrington. Tickets are $14, $10 for students.
While four actors perform “War of the Worlds,” which portrays a news broadcast about Martians invading Earth, “Diner” will depict the reaction of diners who learn their restaurant has been quarantined.
The “Diner” script plays off dialogue from the radio broadcast. For instance, a question that is asked during the radio play is answered by a character from “Ray’s ‘n Hell Diner.”
The radio nostalgia production has been put on by the council for the past four years. Auditions are generally held in January, and actors like Matt Ford of Hanover Park wanted to be part of the experience.
“It was something I’ve never done before, and I thought that it would be an interesting challenge to build a character that is new,” said Ford, who plays a drag queen at the diner.
For Glenn Dallas of Rolling Meadows, the opportunity to play the part of Orson Welles was too good to resist.
“This is wonderful, not having to memorize lines,” he added.
